You might need some whiteout: Friday, December 9 will not be the date to mark for the Galaxy Nexus after all. Verizon has been silent about the phone’s release date, but multiple leaked documents had pointed to that day. Those same sources are now saying that the launch has been postponed again.

A Verizon rep declined to comment about the delay, but repeated the previous statement that no launch date has been announced.

What’s going on here? First the phone was announced in Asia with no mention of the US. Leaks pointed to a late November Verizon release; that soon changed to early December. The December 9 date looked legit, but now that’s out too.

Is it a coincidence that the delay follows news that Google Wallet will not be on the handset? Verizon made a statement about security and technical issues preventing the app’s inclusion, but can we trust that? Situations like this are often traced back to money. Verizon is a partner in ISIS, an NFC payment system that will directly compete with Google Wallet. We have no proof that this is the motive, but the incentive is there.

Verizon isn’t allowed to block competitors’ apps. The FCC forced it to agree to this three years ago when Big Red purchased a block of spectrum. Could this be Verizon’s conundrum: how can it block Google Wallet without actually blocking Google Wallet?

Meanwhile the Android fans that want to open their wallets to Verizon are left in the dark. If the biggest US carrier is using its position to oust key features — features that customers want — then it’s those customers that lose.

Verizon still says that the Galaxy Nexus will launch by the end of the year. That may be, but you might want to mark your calendar in pencil.